Load discharging car



March \14, 1939. .A CAMPBELL LOAD DISCHARGING CAR File July 24, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l K INVENToR. ARGYLE CAMPBELL mm\ l l l 4 "HMH" /S ATTORNEY.

March 14 19359 A. CAMPBELLl LOAD DISCHARGING CAR Filed July 24, 1937 4 sheets-sheet 2 @ass S VVE/TOR A GYLE CA MPB L By /s ATaR/VEY March 14,1939.

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Filed Ju'ly 24, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORA CAMPBELL d( J,

ARGYLE H/5` ATTORNEY.

,Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE terprse cago, Ill., a corporati Railway Equipment Company,

on of Illinois Chl- ' Application July 24, 1937', serial No. 155,460

9 claims. (o1. 10s-251) My invention relates to improvements in load discharging cars, and is especially related to that type of car used in ballasting work on railroads, wherein the load is graduallyV discharged in a uniform flow under the control of the operator,

and wherein the lading may be deposited either to the sides of the track or between the rails or simultaneously tothe center and one side-or simultaneously to the center and both sides.

`An object of my invention is to provide a car having large discharge openings unobstructed by cross bracing members such as would normally interfere with the free flow of the lading.

Another object of my invention isv to provide a car of the Walls formed at their lower margin of such shape that they function as girders by which to obtain Ythe necessary strengthrto span large door openings without buckling of the hopper walls.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved car of the character described, having fixed upper hopper sections on each vside of a longitudinally extending center member, and to provide means whereby lading will be directed from said fixed hoppers through discharge outlets to distributing sub-hoppers of greaterlength than the discharge outlets. By providing chute-like distributing sub-hoppers of greater length than the discharge outlets I mitigate the confining tendency of the discharging lading as it ows through the chutes and thus ensure a smooth and steady flow of the discharging material.

My invention also provides for the standardization of parts entering into the construction of cars of the character described, making for simplicity, lightness in weight, and moreover permitting a uniform speed of door operation when the doors are being opened for center or side discharge. My improved design provides for center-and side discharging ly uniform construction and of equal size and so arranged as to have their respective swinging edges disposed on a common horizontal plane when the doors are in closed position.

v My improvements further include improved door operating mechanisms for controlling the movement of the doors.

My invention further resides in certain details of construction and improvements of parts, such as will be more fully pointed out hereafter and claimed.

For further comprehension of my invention, reference maybe had to the accompanying rdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 isa sectional plan View of the major character described, having hopper doors of substantialportion of a hopper car embodying my improvements, said view being taken above the hopper structures;

Fig. 2-is a vertical longitudinal elevational view of the car illustrated in Fig. 1, the left-hand half of the figure' representing a sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and the right-hand half of theri'igure being a full side elevational view of the car; l

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken through the lower portion of the hopper car substantially on a line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Y Fig. 4 is a fractional plan view-on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the car, showing as much of the car as necessary to illustrate one of the hopper sections and the associated car structure; l

Fig. 5Vis a vertical elevational side .view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a'fractional sectional plan view taken through one of the hoppers on a line 6 -6 of Fig. 3; Y

Fig. 7 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of that portion of the car illustrated in Fig. 6

and as viewed on a line corresponding substantially to a line 1-1 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fractional verticalvsectional view on an enlarged scale as taken through one of the hopper end walls on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

In said drawings, the'center sill of the car is shown as consisting of two beam members IDI-|01, each having a vertical web |02, top flange |03, and outstanding bottom flange Hill. The top flanges |03 of the respective-beams face towards each other'andare vwelded as at |05. Surmounting the center sill for a portion of its length are invertedv V-shaped caps |06 welded to the center sill proper at |01, said caps being employed onlyY where the center sill is exposed tothe lading for the purpose of preventing lodgment of lading on the top of the center sill.

The car sides, which are indicated at |08, are of the conventional type including a vertical plate |09 and top and bottom reinforcements ||0 and respectively. The cross members of the car include a central crossbeamv H3 and the body bolsters H4, said respective members forming supports Vfor sloping floor sheets H5 and IIB respectively. The floor sheets ||5 and IIB respectively cooperate with side sloping sheets and with portions of the center sill to form fixed hopper sections on each side of the center sill.

The sloping floor sheets H5, ||6 and ||1, adjacent their lower margin, are formed with vertical wall sections or portions H8, ||9 and |20 respectively, which commence at anV appreciable distance above the lower face of the center sill and terminate substantially in alignment with the lower face of the center sill. The vertical wall portions ||8, 9 and |20, in cooperation ywith the outer portion of the center sill lower means of angle members |2| for sections ||78 and H9, and angle members |22 for sections |20. Each of the said angle members |25 and |22 is disposed with onev of its flanges thereof extending horizontally in substantial alignment with the lower ange |04 ofthe center sill, thereby providing a ledge charge outlet.

Below the level of the discharge outlet there is provided for each hopper a distributing sub-hop'- per composed in effect of a pair of transversely extending beams |24|24 and doors |25 disposed between said beams. The beams of the pair included in each sub-hopper are spaced from each other lengthwise of the car, and interposed between said spaced beams are the doors |25 arranged in the form of a V pivoted adjacent its apex on a pivot |26. VThe beams |24-,V which are preferably of channel formation including a web |27 and top and bottom flanges |28 and |29 respectively, are disposed in underlying relation with respect tothe center sill and with respect to the ledge |23 of the hopper. The said beams |24 are located an appreciable distance beyond the ends of the discharge outlet and the doors |25 are correspondingly extended thereby providing sub-hoppers which are longer than the discharge outlet above said sub-hoppers. VThe pivot |26 the beams |24, and the ends thereof are mounted in brackets |30 disposed on the outer sides of the channel members.

'Ihe channel members |24 are extended transversely of the car beyond the discharge outlets and beyond the swinging edges ofthe doors thereby providing chute-like structures which operate to confine the ow of the lading Within predetermined limits an'denableV the-'utilization of the cars in road-bed ballasting service. Angleshaped brackets |3| are secured to the extended portions of the beams |24. Each bracket has a wall section |32 extending lengthwise of the car and another wall section |33 extending trans:- versely of thevcar. The section |33 is secured to the beam |24 by means of rivets |34, the top iiange |28 of the channel being cut away as at |35 to accommodate said section |33. The said section |33 is flanged at the top` at |36 to conform to the slope of the hopper floor and is secured thereto by means of rivets |31. The section |32 is united with the car side walls through the medium of an angle member |38. Thebeams |24 are further brac-ed relatively to the center sill by means of angle braces |39.

The ledge |23 is preferably formed to present, in combination with the flange |04 of the center sil a continuous flange around the discharge Voutlet by extending the longitudinal angle |22 to position it between the respective wall sections |32 and welding the ends of said angle |22 to the ends of the transversely extending angles I2 Adjacent the center sill theangle members |'2| are coped out to permit of the extension of the |23 extending around the disconsists ofl a rod extending through A vertical flange of said angle above the center flange |04, and a welded connection may be made with the center sill flange |04 as at |40.

The respective doors |25 of the pair are made of similar construction, each consisting of a body portion made of a plate 4| bent adjacent the swinging edge of the door to provide a ledge portion |42 to underlie the ledge |25 when the door is in closed position. The doors are braced lengthwise of the car by beams |43 and |44 dis- .Y posed adjacent the swinging and hinged ends of the doors respectively, said beams being preferably of Z-shape. The doors extend to within a comparatively short distance of the beams |24, and the gaps between the beams and doors are sealed by welded strips |45. The hinge edges of theY doors are scrolled at |45 to encircle the pivot |28, the scrolled hinge on one door intercalating with the scrolled hinge on the opposite door in such a manner that when the doors are in assembled relation the hinges of the respective doors form a substantially continuous hinge.

The scrolled part |46 of the door is composed of a plate bent to form a loop with the ends of the plate brought into overlapping relation and with one end extending beyond the other and lapping one of the flanges |41 of the beam |43. The loops are formed considerably larger than the supporting pivot |26 for `the purpose of preventing any possibility of the parts binding in the `event of water percolating within the hinges and freezing, and also to allowrfor any irregularities in manufacture.

The doors are strengthened at right angles to the pivotal axis ofthe doors by a series of reinforcements |48, |49 and 50, the latter being of angle shape and disposed withV one of their flanges at right angles to the door plate. The door on one side of the sub-hopper in open position forms a continuous slope with the companion door when the latter is in closed position; the

Vslope of the doors from the horizontal plane in either the fully closed or vfully opened position is preferably at an angle of approximately 36 deg-rees. With both doors of a sub-hopper in the fully open position, there is presented an inverted V-shape shedding member disposed midway of the hopper discharge outlet.

The doors are operated by means of longitudinally extending operating shafts located outwardly beyond the free edges of the doors. The center doors of each' subhopper are operated in unison by an voperating shaft |5| disposed within the center sill, and each side door of each hopper is Vindependently operated by .an operating shaft |52. Connections between each operating shaft and its associated door are effected through Vthe medium of chains or other suitable flexible the connections extending connections |53, through openings |54 in the door plates and secured to the vertical iiange' of member 50 by means of an adjusting eyebolt |55 as best indicated conventionally in Fig. 5. The chains for the respective doors are located vertical wall sections of the sloping endy floors and the adjacent beams |24, said chains in their progress from the shaft to the door being deflected from a straight lineV path by being passed over deiecting shoes |58 for the center doors and|5l for the side doors. 'Ihe said deflectors are formed with `a base portion |58 which rests upon the ledge |23 and is secured thereto by rivet |59. Above the base portion |58 there is provided an arcuate-shaped over which the `chain is adapted to slide. Ihe

intermediate the bearing or shoe vshaft operated thereby,

meet the door and which acts as a shield to protect said chain lfrom contact with the lading when the door is in closed position and also seals the opening in the door through which the chain passes.

The deectors are provided with side wall guiding flanges |62, one of said flanges being also secured to the vertical flange of the angle |2| and with the related vertical wall portion. In the case of the deflectors |51 for the side doors, the guiding flange is extended upwardly and is attached directly to the vertical wall portion as indicated at |63.

The chains connect directly with winding sheaves or drums |66 for the center doors and at |65 for the side doors. Said sheaves |64 for the center doors are extended lengthwise of the shaft .a sufficient distance to accommodate oppositely winding chains for the Vrespective doors, said chains extending through openings |66 formed in the center sill webs.

Rotation of the shafts is preferably carried out by means of worm and gear mechanisms indicated conventionally at |61 and housed in housings |68 for the center the side doo-rs. Each said worm and gear housing also forms the support for one end of the the opposite end of the respectiveshafts Vbeing carried in bearings |16 for the center doors and |1| for the side doors.

The worm and gear housing |68 is secured to the center sill webs as indicated at r|12 and riveted to the vertical web |21 of the beam |24 at |13, the top flange of the beambeing cut away at |14 in order to accommodate the housing.

.Rotation of the center operating shaft is effected through the medium of a cross shaft |15 which is extended to the respective sides of the car and through bearings |16 ca |32. Outwardly o-f said wall there is disposed on each end of the shaft a locking ratchet wheel |11 with which a. locking pawl |18 cooperates. The locking pawls |18 Vat the corresponding ends of the shaft are operable in unison by means of an additional shaft |19 to which the respective pawls |18 are attached through the medium of a bell-crank operating handle |86. The mechanism enables the complete operation of locking or releasing the center doors to be effected from either side of the car.

The operation of the side doors is carried out through the medium of short transverse shafts IBI, each having `a locking-ratchet wheel` |82 thereon and a locking pawl |83 cooperable with said ratchet wheel. .Each operating shaft is provided outwardly of the locking ratchet with an operating ratchet wheel |84 with which a 'suitened, as best seen by reference to Fig. 8, by welding the angle members |2| to the top of the channel members |26, as indicated at |85, there- A by providing a continuous wall effect between the hopper end floors and the lower channels. The

combination Y doors and |69 forv ried by the wall continuous structure provided by welding the angle |2| to vthe channel member |24 results in the said hopper end wall channel-shaped rein'- forcement functioning as avbox-like reinforcement disposed aboveA the door and presenting a convenient housing for the door chains.

The fact that the sub-hoppers are of longer length than the discharge outlets of the upper hoppers permits a slight spreading out of the material as it flows between the confining walls of the baule members after leaving the discharge outlets. This capacity for expansion of the material in the sub-hoppers counteracts the tendency of the lading to arch in the door openings and assures a smooth flow of lading, such as becomes of importance when discharging material from a moving carin the course of ballastingoperations. f

I claim: v

V1. In a car of the character described, the

member dividing the car lengthwise into two hopper sections; partitions extending transversely of the car and adapted to define with said longitudinally extending members a plurality of fixed hoppers terminating in discharge outlets; and a sub-hopper disposed below each said outlet and extended lengthwise of the car beyond the dis-v charge outlet to present a load-receiving receptacle of greater length than the discharge outlet of said associated fixed hopper, each said sub-hopper being provided with vertically extending end walls and doors lying between said end walls for directing lading to either side of the discharge outlet orto both sides thereof simultaneously. i

2. In a'car of the character described, -having a longitudinally extending center member formed with an'outstanding lower horizontal flange on each side thereof; a four-sided load-containing hopper on` each side of the center member, each hopper being dened in part by a portion of the center member and on the other three` sides by sloping walls, said sloping wallsl at their lower portions having a substantially horizontally exo with a longitudinally extendingV ing therewith a four-sided marginal reinforcement around the hopper; and a sub-hopper disposed below the said upper hopper and including V-arranged doors adapted to abut two sidesl of said four-sided marginal reinforcement when in closed position.

3. In a railway car of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending center member including a laterally extending lower marginal flange on. each side thereof; a four-sided load-containing' hopper section on each side of the center member, each section being dened in part by a portion of the center member on.v one side of the hopper and on the other three sides by sloping walls, said sloping walls at their lower` portions terminating in a vertical wall section. and a substantially horizontally extending margin, said margins of the three walls, in combination with the lower ange of the center member, forming a four-sided discharge outlet having a substantially continuous ledge around the lower margin thereof and presenting longitudinally and transversely extending ledge portions; and a sub-hopper disposed below said ledge and provided with movable sides adapted to discharge lading from the upper hopperto either side thereof, said movable sides being extended beneath the ledge and adapted when in closed position to abut the longitudinally extending sections of the ledge.

4. In a car of the character described, having transversely aligned hoppers Veach leading to a discharge outlet, each said outlet being reinforced around its margin by a substantially horizontally disposed ledge including longitudinally and transversely extending ledge portions presenting a four-sided 'reinforcement around said outlet; chutes fordirecting lading to each side of the discharge outlet, each said chute including a pair of transversely extending beams spaced from each other lengthwise oi the car and disposed in underlying relation with respect to the transversely extending portions of the ledge, and V- arranged doors extending between. therespective beams and adapted to direct lading to either side of the discharge outlet.

5. In a railway car of the character described, having a longitudinally extending center member including a horizontal marginal flange at the lower portion thereof; a pair oi verticalbeams extending transversely of` the car. beneath'the center member and spaced from Veach other lengthwise of the car; hopper sections on each side of the center member, each section being defined in part by a portion of the center member on one side and on three sides by sloping walls terminating in vertical wall portions having substantially horizontal lower marginal flanges, said last-named anges in, combination with the centerfmember marginal flange forming a foursided horizontal ledge presenting transversely and longitudinally extending ledge portions; and V-arranged doors disposed beneath the hoppers and between the vertical beams and arranged to open to an inclined position for directing the lading to the center of the car or to the sides of the car or simultaneously side and center discharge, each said door when in closed position being adapted to abut the longitudinally extending portions of the ledge.

6. In a railway car of the character described, having a longitudinally extending center member and hopper sections on each side of said member, each said hopper section leading to a dis:- charge outlet at substantially the level of the lower margin of the center member; a sub-hopper below said outlet including therein a pair of fixed baille platesY and V-arranged doors lying between said baliies, said baiiie plates being disposed appr ciably beyond the ends of the discharge outlet and the doors being correspondingly extended; ledges adapted to span the distance intermediate the ends of the outlet and the baffles; door connections disposed above said ledges andV extending through the ledges; means. for actuating the doors through the medium of the connections, including door-operating shafts disposed beyond the swinging edges of the doors; and means on the ledges adapted to deflect the connections from a straight-line path.

' 7. In a railway car thecombination with a pivotally mounted door inclined upwardly from the pivotal axis thereof when said door is in closed position;V of a ledge disposed above the pivotal axis of the door and forming an abutment for the swinging edge of the door when: the'latter is in closed position; a door-operating shaft disposed beyond the swinging edge of the door; a connection from the shaft to the door; means carried by the ledge adapted to deflect the connection from a straightline path, said means including a rigid abutment of arcuate formation over which the connection is adapted to slide, said connection being adaptedvto engage with the door at a location intermediate the pivotal and swinging edges of the door thereby presenting an appreciable distance between the door and the ledge at the junction of the door and connection; and enclosing means for the connection disposed between the ledge and the door yfor shielding the connection from the lading when the door in closed position.

8. In a railway car, the combination with a privo-tally mounted discharge door; of a ledge above the doo-r; a door-operating shaft disposed beyond the swinging edge of the door; a connection deiiector mounted on the ledge and having a portion of arcuate formation adapted to engage with an intermediate portion of the connection and deflect said connection from a straight-line path,Y said deflector including a base portion resting upon the ledge and having openings in the ledge anddeiiector through which the connection is adapted to extend in its passage from the shaft to the door- 9. In a load discharging ,car including a hopper having a pivotally mounted door, said hopper at each end having a downwardly sloping floor formed with a lowervertical wall section and a laterally extending flange outstanding from said vertical wall section and lying beneath the sloping iioor, said sloping oor in combination with the vertical wall section and` lateral flange presenting a substantially channel-shaped lower marginal reinforcement for the hopper end wall, said door being extended lengthwise to lie beneath the laterally extending iianges of the hopper end walls; a door winding shaft disposed beyond the ends of said channel-shaped reinforcements; and a door-raising connection at each end of the door disposed in the said channel reinforcement and extending between the shaft and the door, each said end flange being formed with an opening through which the associated connection extends.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL. 

